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Karen Showalter

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Karen is a Campaign Director for the Food Justice Team at MomsRising. She was previously the Executive Director of Americans for Informed Democracy, a national youth network taking action on US global engagement. Karen has served as the Advocacy Manager for Oxfam International's Education for All Campaign in Mali, a network strategist for Netcentric Campaigns, a Communications Coordinator for the Bank Information Center, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger. Karen also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Americans for Informed Democracy. She has spoken about networks, new media, and social change at Ford Foundation, Connect US Fund, Miami-Dade College, True Spin, Millennium Campus Network, Physicians for Social Responsibility and numerous other conferences. She has a Masters in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University, and is a Master Gardener Trainee.

Blog Post List

Greetings! And Eid Mubarak! This week we're sharing another great round of reports, resources and videos, as well as a report-back from the recent Good Food Force Meet Up in Orlando, Florida. Have something you'd like to share in a future Good Food Force Update? Please email karen@momsrising.org . Have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Quick links New Study from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: How Children’s Social Skills Impact Success in Adulthood . “Overall, research findings show that teacher-rated social competence in kindergarten was a consistent and significant predictor of future outcomes...

Greetings! We have lots of great stuff to share this week, including the latest on what's happening in NY, NC and IL. Be sure to check out three powerful new resources from our partners, too. Have something you'd like to share in a future Good Food Force Update? Please email karen@momsrising.org . Have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Healthier Communities State by State! Check out the latest on bills promoting healthy food, drinks and communities in NY, NC and IL! Read the full post on the blog . NY: Assembly Bill 2320b would require sugary beverages (like soda) sold in New York to feature a...

Greetings! In celebration of Pride Month and last week's AMAZING #MarriageEquality victory in the Supreme Court, we're sharing a round-up of some of our favorite LGBTQ food bloggers. Also check out photos from our workshop at the National Baptist Convention, and some tips on how to support some of the smallest, fuzziest and most important players in our food system: pollinators! Please read and share. Have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Top LGBTW Food Bloggers Here at MomsRising we are not just food justice advocates, we're also readers who follow a variety of food bloggers. This month we want to...

Greetings! This week we're announcing the release of our Healthy Ramadan Toolkit, and sharing a yummy Ramadan recipe from one of our star Good Food Force members, Sarene. Also check out events in North Carolina, and a resource for Father's Day recipes! Have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Announcing Healthy Ramadan Toolkit! Salaam alaikum! We are so excited to announce the launch of our Healthy Ramadan Toolkit, developed in partnership with the Muslim Wellness Foundation, during a Twitter Town Hall on July 8 at 2pm ET! Follow @MomsRising to participate. “From an Islamic perspective health is viewed...

Happy National Pollinator Week! WAIT - don’t go anywhere. I promise this has some relevance for folks who are 1) not obsessed with gardening, and/or 2) not obsessed with bees. Hear me out. Pollinators like bees and butterflies have a HUGE and essential role to play in our food system. In short: if you like food, you like pollinators. We need pollinators to grow beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, peaches, strawberries, parsley, sesame, peanuts, clover, cotton… the list goes on. Seriously - it’s really long. Check it out here . Some facts: 90% of plant species rely on pollinators. And 75% of...

Greetings! This week we're highlighting some exciting local events in North Carolina, and tips for organizing your own get-together to talk about healthy kids and communities. Please read and share, and have a great week! 1. HOT LINE #GoodFoodForce launches in North Carolina! North Carolina is facing some serious challenges around food. Our state ranks 5th worst in the US for childhood obesity. According to our partners at the NC Alliance for Health, over 30 percent of North Carolina children are overweight and obese, increasing their risk of many chronic disorders including Type 2 diabetes,...

Greetings! This week we're sharing a compelling new infographic that highlights how similar Big Tobacco and Big Food sound to each other. Scary! We've also got tips for extending the fresh berry bounty season, and more. Please read and share, and have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Big Food = Big Tobacco? Food for thought, from our friends at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Be sure to check out the conversation on whether some major food and beverage companies act like Big Tobacco on the Good Food Force Facebook group ! Join us for #MissionPossible Your voice is powerful and needed...

Check out tips on organizing a fab on-the-ground event, from MomsRising.org's Field Director Ashley Boyd! Ashley spearheaded a local Good Food Force MeetUp in Berkeley, CA in early June, as part of a series of Good Food Force MeetUps happening across the country this spring. Organized in partnership with the Ecology Center, guests included Councilwoman Linda Maio, Jezra Thompson (Program Supervisor, BUSD Gardening and Cooking Program), and a representative from the Measure D Panel of Experts to help fuel the conversation and answer questions. The event was a great success: ideas were shared,...

Stawberries: the perfect fruit. Everyone loves strawberries, even picky eaters. And this is the time of year to find fresh, local and perfect berries. In a quest to extend the strawberry season as long as possible, I've pulled together a list of easy berry recipes for now and later (if they last)! Of course the ultimate way to ensure a constant supply of strawberries is to grow your own! Scroll down for tips on how to get started. Yummy strawberry recipes: 1. Frozen. Strawberries are super easy to freeze. Just wash the berries, cut out the stems, pat them dry and freeze them in a ziploc bag...

Greetings! We hope you're enjoying the early days of summer. Please read and share, and have a great week! 1. HOT LINE Healthier options for kids in Davis, CA! Davis, California just became the first jurisdiction in the country to ensure that default beverages on restaurant children’s menus are water or milk, and not soda or other sugary drinks. Read the ordinance , which states: “Sugary beverages play a central and unique role in the obesity epidemic. Studies have found a significant link between sugary drink consumption and weight gain in children...” Source: CSPI Healthy school meals = a...

Hosting a film screening is a great way to get together with friends, have some fun, see a great film, and talk about the issues that matter to you. It’s that easy. We’re sharing some helpful tips below, but feel free to “wing it” and hold a party that works best for you. Information below: Simple Steps to Hosting a Great MeetUp! Sample Agenda Resources 1. Simple Steps to Hosting a Great MeetUp! Pick a Time & Location We suggest 1.5 – 2 hours for the event. The movie is about 50 minutes, and you’ll want to have plenty of time to welcome people, and allow guests to mingle. Pick a time and...

Happy Friday! We're sharing a juicy update on junk food fundraisers, and the latest installment in our "Year in the Family Garden" series. Please read and share, and have a great holiday weekend! 1. HOT LINE Latest on Healthy School Snacks in Ohio and Michigan The Smart Snacks in School rule went into effect this past year: yay! The rule includes a provision that allows states to decide the maximum number of school fundraisers that can be exempt from the standards per year. If a state does nothing, the number of exempt fundraisers defaults to zero. Michigan and Ohio are two of the small...

The Smart Snacks in School rule went into effect this past year, and ensures snacks foods and beverages sold in schools are healthy. Together with our partners, MomsRising submitted over 200,000 signatures from people like you who support these healthy changes to the school day. Now, snacks sold through vending machines, stores and a la carte lines need to be in kid-sized portions, and in general have fewer than 200 calories and be low in fat, sodium and sugar. Mom victory! However, in response to concerns about limiting school fundraising options the USDA included a provision in the rule...

Here in Pennsylvania, we’ve jumped from cool spring to hot summer over night. But don’t worry - there’s plenty of time to get a garden started! In fact, you’re just in time. Some tips for starting your family garden this year: 1. Quick primer on the basics. Anyone can garden. You don’t need special tools, expensive ingredients or tons of experience. You do need soil, water, sun and seeds/plants. Soil is the most essential of all ingredients. There’s a saying that experienced gardeners grow soil, not plants. Everything depends on it. You have a few options for your project. First, buy potting...

Greetings! There's so much to talk about this week, from Dairy Queen pulling soda from kids menus, to reflecting on food justice, to yummy summer recipes. Please read and share! 1. HOT LINE #MissionPossible This week MomsRising joined dozens of women leaders, including elected leaders Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui on Capitol Hill to launch #MissionPossible! We're making the case for essential family economic security policies like paid leave, paid sick days, quality affordable childcare and more. Making our national economy stronger is our #MissionPossible! Join us! BREAKING...

This week we're talking about the importance of SNAP, physical activity for kids, and hosting conversations about healthy food in your community. Please read and share! 1. Hot Line Film + Friends = Fun! This spring, we're thrilled to offer you a special opportunity to screen the award-winning documentary Cafeteria Man, which chronicles efforts to improve public school foods in Baltimore and Memphis. It's a story about what's possible in our nation's schools and of what it takes, and who it takes, to make solutions happen. Sign up now to screen this fabulous film with friends . We'll provide...

Join us for some lively conversation and good food this spring! MomsRising staff and volunteers are hosting local Meet Ups around the country to discuss food justice, healthy kids, and what each of us can do to build healthy communities. Check out the list of upcoming events below, and let us know if you'd like to join and/or host a Meet Up! Contact Beatriz at beatriz@momsrising.org Brooklyn, NY - January 10, 2015 Detroit, MI - April 18, 2015 May Brooklyn, NY - May 2, 2015 Central Pennsylvania - May 15, 2015 Ann Arbor, MI - May 16, 2015 Orland, Florida - date TBD San Francisco Bay Area - date...

What a week! We're so inspired by the almost 50,000 signatures we've gathered this month in support of healthy food in preschools, protecting SNAP (food stamps), limiting junk food fundraisers in Michigan schools, and asking the industry to curb junk food marketing to kids. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with! And our message is clear: everyone deserves healthy and nutritious food. Please read on for updates on what's next! 1. Hot Line Hands off SNAP! Some U.S. members of Congress are still trying to push billions of dollars in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (...

Greetings! This week we're talking about the fast-food worker strike, protecting SNAP, healthy meals for preschoolers and more! Please share! 1. HOT LINE Let's make the school day a healthy one for our littlest learners! Join us in supporting The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as it updates the standards for meals and snacks in child care centers, day care homes, after-school and summer feeding programs. These programs feed more than 3 million children every day, and call for greater variety of fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, fewer fried foods, and more. We are also asking...

Got a minute? Mom to mom: we really need your help to keep the pressure on Nickelodeon to STOP marketing junk food to kids! Can you add your voice? You see, Nickelodeon has a huge influence on children, like my son J.P. A 2012 study by the Center for Science and the Public Interest found that 69% of Nickelodeon food ads sell junk food to kids . Sure, I can just turn off the T.V. But it's not just the T.V. These ads are targeting kids like my son J.P. through games, product placement, clothing, the Internet, and much more. Believe me, I teach J.P. to make good choices. But according to the...